A House of Commons committee unanimously passed a motion Monday urging the Liberal government to create an independent review board for military honours, including Canada’s top battlefield award – the Canadian Victoria Cross.
This request is part of a years-long grassroots campaign by several Afghan War veterans who want the case of the late Pte. Jess Larochelle reexamined.
<p Nearly 20 years ago, while seriously injured, Larochelle fended off a massive Taliban attack on his combat outpost. His bravery earned him Canada's second-highest honour for courage in battle – the Star of Military Valour.
The federal Senate and various provinces like Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia have also passed similar motions calling for the establishment of an independent panel.
An online initiative led by the Facebook group Valour in the Presence of the Enemy has been advocating for years that Larochelle’s actions should be recognized with the Canadian Victoria Cross.
Larochelle, who struggled with health issues after his service, passed away in 2023.
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Pte. Jess Larochelle, second from the left in the front row, saved the lives of many Canadian soldiers during a Taliban attack in Afghanistan on Oct. 14, 2006. (Submitted by Bruce Moncur)
Conservative MP Blake Richards, who brought forward the motion on Monday to the House of Commons veterans committee, stated that what Larochelle did on Oct. 14, 2006, was an incredible act of bravery that deserves another look.
“There is a lot of new information that’s come forward about his case that would indicate that perhaps he should have received the Victoria Cross,” Richards said.
Liberal MP Pauline Rochefort, representing Nipissing-Timiskaming where Larochelle grew up, supported the motion and has backed a petition with over 16,000 signatures calling for him to be awarded the Victoria Cross posthumously. This petition is currently before Parliament.
“It comes at a time when recent remarks by President Donald Trump risk distorting how we remember Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan,” Rochefort noted.
The motion and independent panel review “provides us with the opportunity to show in a unified manner, and with equal clarity, how Canada honours its own and recognizes courage and sacrifice at the highest level.”
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No Canadian VC Awarded Yet
Established in 1993, Canada’s Victoria Cross (VC) is this country’s highest military honour but has never been awarded. The British VC has been given to Canadians and other Commonwealth soldiers for exceptional bravery since around mid-19th century; however, no Canadians have received it since World War II. Britain, Australia and New Zealand have awarded several VCs for actions taken during Iraq and Afghanistan. In contrast, there were a total of 28 Medals of Honor given out by the United States for service in those wars – their highest battlefield decoration. Canada’s defence department has maintained over time that while many brave acts occurred in Afghanistan they were acknowledged with other medals such as The Star of Military Valour. They assert that none met their “extremely rare standard” required for “most conspicuous bravery” or “pre-eminent act of valour” needed to qualify for a VC. The military faced pressure to review twenty cases involving soldiers who earned The Star of Military Valour during Afghan War service; however their examination concluded that none met VC standards during those instances.Source link
